Galantière Reviews & News About Mark Lurie

MidWest Book Review: “Impressively researched, extraordinarily informative, exceptionally well written, organized and presented, Galantière: The Lost Generation's Forgotten Man" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to both community and academic library 20th Century American Biography collections.” June 2018.

Mark spoke at the Hemingway in Paris Conference on Tuesday, July 24th at La Sorbonne.

Kirkus Reviews: “Lurie takes readers on a journey through the life of his father’s cousin Lewis Galantière, who mingled with Sinclair Lewis and Ernest Hemingway in 1920s France, translated Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s works into English, and was part of the trans-Atlantic literary scene….   The book seamlessly blends Galantière’s professional adventures—with publishers, the Federal Reserve, PEN International, and Radio Free Europe—with his personal life, including multiple marriages and affairs… Lurie has produced a substantial, thoughtful biography of a man previously known only through his appearances in the papers of more famous individuals, acknowledging his contributions and placing him in historical context…  A well-written, comprehensively researched account of one man with connections to key players in literature and politics throughout the 1900s.” June 5, 2018.

Publisher’s Weekly: “...a clear-cut tale of a man who crossed paths with Sherwood Anderson, Ernest Hemingway and James Joyce among many other literary notables, helping them in significant ways…  Galantière also wrote plays with John Houseman, translated novels by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, and served variously as president of PEN America, a Federal Reserve Bank economist, and an ACLU director.  Lurie's straightforward biography …draws an appealing portrait of a man who made his own way among the literati of his day.” June 4, 2018.

The Library Journal: Born in Chicago but raised in France, Lewis Galantière (1895–1977) is perhaps best known for his role in Paris literary circles during the 1920s, specifically his friendships with Ernest Hemingway and James Joyce. This biography by debut author Lurie, Galantière’s first cousin once removed, chronicles its subject’s life beyond his Lost Generation connections, particularly his notable career as a translator of works by Jean Cocteau, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, and Jean Anouilh, among others.

He also wrote plays, including collaborations with film director John Housman. A staunch defender of free speech, he later served as director of the American Civil Liberties Union and PEN America. But it is Galantière’s fascinating achievements outside of literature that Lurie highlights, documenting his important role in U.S.-French relations during and after World War II and esteemed positions in the U.S. Army Libraries, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the French Branch of Office of War Information, and Radio Free Europe, which helped to shape America’s economic and foreign policy in postwar Europe.

Verdict:  Drawing heavily on Galantière’s papers at Columbia University, Lurie succeeds in constructing a thorough and well-rounded portrait that should earn its subject wider recognition—especially among readers interested in American history and diplomacy.—William Gargan, Brooklyn Coll. Lib., CUNY